Can't get a RTS meter replaced by UW or Calisen Metering

geriann

My elderly parents are currently in an annoying catch22 loop.

They still have the old sort of RTS electric meter because they've been on an Economy10 electric tariff for ages.

It's not been well publicised on tv, but the RTS signal is being switched off on June 30th. Your energy provider should have contacted all customers that have RTS meters to arrange a new meter installation, but many people...for whatever reason...still need to arrange the new meter installation.

My parents are with Utility Warehouse (UW), but their electric supply is through Eon Next. Neither of them have contacted them about the RTS switch off. (My parents only heard about the switch off because i saw it online & told them)

I looked on UW's website & it says phone 03332205441 (which is Calisen Metering = calisen.com) to book an installation. My mum has tried that number countless times, but no one answers!

When i went back to UW's website i tried clicking on the "book online" button, but every time (multiple times over several days) it just says "we're not able to provide you with a smart meter right now. Register interest & we'll get in touch when we can." So i clicked on that & UW phoned my parents the next day. I was disappointed when all UW did was tell my mum that to arrange a meter installation she's got to contact Calisen by the number she'd already been trying!

So i emailed Calisen to tell them the situation & that my parents could not get through on that phone number. I was confused when they emailed back saying my parents have to get Eon to "send them a job request".

So we're now in the stupid situation of...

*Eon say we need to phone Calisen to book installation.

*Calisen say we need to contact Eon to get them to request the installation.

...In the meantime the clock is ticking because the RTS switch off is only weeks away.

Is anyone else in a similar position?

What are we meant to do about this mess?

QrizB

geriann said:

My parents are with Utility Warehouse (UW), but their electric supply is through Eon Next. 

This makes no sense.

Utility Warehouse and EON Next are two different domestic energy suppliers. Which one of them supplies your parents?

You can check online: Ofgem has a guide here:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/finding-your-energy-supplier-or-network-operator

RunsFromRobots

Start complaining. Both Eon and UW will have a complaints process. Get Citizens' Advice involved too, if necessary. 

Neither organisation will like the negative publicity so threaten to go to the newspapers emphasising how they are taking advantage of the elderly. They'll soon be bending over backwards to sort it out.

I did the same thing a couple of years ago when my elderly mum had a leak that British Gas Homecare refused to fix as it was 'the weekend'. When I told them they'd be paying to put her up in a hotel, they were round in a jiffy.

Sometimes having elderly parents can work to your advantage in these situations.

As for the RTS matter in hand, there's been a lot of publicity on the radio by Lorraine Kelly, but I've seen little on the TV.

MattMattMattUK

geriann said:

My elderly parents are currently in an annoying catch22 loop.

They still have the old sort of RTS electric meter because they've been on an Economy10 electric tariff for ages.

It's not been well publicised on tv, but the RTS signal is being switched off on June 30th. Your energy provider should have contacted all customers that have RTS meters to arrange a new meter installation, but many people...for whatever reason...still need to arrange the new meter installation.

My parents are with Utility Warehouse (UW), but their electric supply is through Eon Next. Neither of them have contacted them about the RTS switch off. (My parents only heard about the switch off because i saw it online & told them)

I looked on UW's website & it says phone 03332205441 (which is Calisen Metering = calisen.com) to book an installation. My mum has tried that number countless times, but no one answers!

When i went back to UW's website i tried clicking on the "book online" button, but every time (multiple times over several days) it just says "we're not able to provide you with a smart meter right now. Register interest & we'll get in touch when we can." So i clicked on that & UW phoned my parents the next day. I was disappointed when all UW did was tell my mum that to arrange a meter installation she's got to contact Calisen by the number she'd already been trying!

So i emailed Calisen to tell them the situation & that my parents could not get through on that phone number. I was confused when they emailed back saying my parents have to get Eon to "send them a job request".

So we're now in the stupid situation of...

*Eon say we need to phone Calisen to book installation.

*Calisen say we need to contact Eon to get them to request the installation.

...In the meantime the clock is ticking because the RTS switch off is only weeks away.

Is anyone else in a similar position?

What are we meant to do about this mess?

I agree with Qriz, it makes no sense with you contacting multiple suppliers, you need to use the link to figure out who your actual supplier is, also figure out who is billing you and then you can get things resolved.

As for the RTS switch off itself it has been well publicised and I am very surprised that your parents have not already been contacted multiple times regarding a meter replacement. However the switch off will not mean that their electricity stops working, just that the clock on the RTS meter will start to drift, likely only by a few minutes a month at most. Whilst the meter does need replacing, it does not mean it needs to be done before the switch off and is not going to result in a disaster if it takes a while to get sorted. 

MattMattMattUK

RunsFromRobots said:

Start complaining. Both Eon and UW will have a complaints process. Get Citizens' Advice involved too, if necessary. 

Neither organisation will like the negative publicity so threaten to go to the newspapers emphasising how they are taking advantage of the elderly. They'll soon be bending over backwards to sort it out.

I did the same thing a couple of years ago when my elderly mum had a leak that British Gas Homecare refused to fix as it was 'the weekend'. When I told them they'd be paying to put her up in a hotel, they were round in a jiffy.

Sometimes having elderly parents can work to your advantage in these situations.

As for the RTS matter in hand, there's been a lot of publicity on the radio by Lorraine Kelly, but I've seen little on the TV.

Ignore this, totally hyperbolic over reaction. 

Torry_Quine

There's been lots of publicity about the RTS switch off. Very hard to miss. 
I'm surprised they haven't been contacted about getting a smart meter fitted and it's not easy to get an appointment quickly now.

Scot_39

Are you 100% sure it's rts based.  Many have had the opposite problem - been contacted even when not rts based meters.

And the advertising campaign was agreed in mid Jan this year according to Ofgem site.   It's the Lorraine Kelly one rather Angela Rippon ihd and time shift one (?)

And not an even older say mechanical timeswitch based system.

EOn not even EOn Next ripped out my rts old emeb heatwise system and replaced it with e10 digital almost a decade ago.  That digital wax then upgraded to smart - so long ago it's e10 configured smets1 c 2017 iirc.

If UW are their supplier - they should organise.

If EOn Next are their supplier then maybe they should.

But I don't know how UW organise their contracts, but EOn Next tech / systems underpinned other front end suppliers like Sainsbury's in past.

Could it be a lesx simple than normal - but just a 2 step process - so initial authorisation then slot booking allowed ??

But EOns response perhaps suggests it's maybe UW responsibility and they have dropped it onto their meter fitting subcontractor - so if your parents pay UW and not EOn Next directly I'd go formal complaint to them first.


And certainly SP are now booking appointments after Jun 30th - like in Aug in some cases - and confirming those are within deadline.  Which in reality is now phased from the 30th to end of Sep iirc for some of their systems.

Robin9

Torry_Quine said:

There's been lots of publicity about the RTS switch off. Very hard to miss. 
I'm surprised they haven't been contacted about getting a smart meter fitted and it's not easy to get an appointment quickly now.

and plenty of confusion as to what is an RTS "meter".   The suppliers will have some wrong records and some consumers actually have mechanical time switches (which are not affected)

@geriann  Any chance of a photo or two please  - of the meter itself and of the ancillary equipment.


DIT according to the Sun there are 100,000 RTS meters still out there